Ray's Country Smokehouse & Grill will fire up its smoker for the last time this Saturday, closing the doors on a downtown Gastonia barbecue institution that has fed the city for more than 60 years. The family behind the South Broad Street restaurant says it's time to retire, and the building is set to pass to new owners with very different plans for the space.
Owners Ray “Butch” England, his wife Rhonda England, and their son Casey England announced that Saturday, Oct. 3, would be its last day in business, according to the Charlotte Observer. The family said they feel it is time to slow down, spend more time with family and loved ones, and enjoy the years ahead, per the same report. The restaurant sits at 219 S. Broad St. in Gastonia, and its phone number, 704-267-4326, has rung for decades of regulars placing orders.
The closure marks a reversal from the plan the England family described back in 2018, when Butch England told the Gaston Gazette that he intended to eventually turn the business over to Casey. Instead, the family is now stepping away together, closing out a run that began at a family store before Ray's moved to its current South Broad Street address in 1997, according to that same interview.
A Menu Built on Slow-Smoked Brisket and House Sauces
Ray's built its reputation on classic smokehouse fare, serving beef brisket, pulled pork, half-pound burgers and baby back ribs alongside hot dogs, smoked wings, slaw, okra and barbecue baked beans, the Observer reported. Every sauce on the table was made in-house, including a molasses-based rib sauce that became something of a signature. The Gaston Gazette noted that the molasses rib sauce was especially popular with customers who kept coming back for it.
Butch England told the Gazette in 2018 that the brisket took 17 hours to cook, a slow-and-steady process the family stuck with for years. He also said simply that Ray's wouldn't serve food the owners wouldn't eat themselves, a philosophy that seemed to resonate with the restaurant's loyal following. Restaurantji described the spot as a stop many travelers kept planning to make even after more than a decade in business, per restaurantji.com.
Family Behind the Counter for Decades
Part of Ray's charm was its unmistakably family-run feel. The Gaston Gazette reported that customers walking in were just as likely to have their order or payment handled by England's wife or daughter-in-law as by Butch himself, a detail that underscored just how much of the operation stayed in the family over the years.
That family-first identity shows up again and again in how regulars describe the place. Customer Celine Varens said Ray's offered genuine Southern hospitality, quality barbecue and great service. Jeffrey McElrath said he'll miss the pulled pork, brisket, dinners and the staff who worked there, while Dino Tsambouniery singled out the barbecue and chocolate cake as the best around.
What Comes Next for the South Broad Street Building
The England family's exit won't leave the South Broad Street building empty for long. The Observer reported that new owners plan to open a breakfast and lunch concept at the location, a shift away from the smoked-meat menu that defined Ray's for generations. Further details on the incoming concept, including timing, have not been made public.
For now, the focus in downtown Gastonia is on Saturday, when the smoker runs one more time and more than 60 years of brisket, pulled pork and molasses-sauced ribs come to a close. The Observer noted it was still awaiting a response from Ray's as the family prepared to shut its doors.
